1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to seals in general and in particular a method and system for sealing barrier interconnections.
2. Description of Related Art
In the field of geotechnical engineering, it is frequently necessary to physically isolate one area in a soil formation from an adjacent area for a variety of purposes. These purposes may include providing either a temporary or a permanent retaining wall, or may be for the purpose of isolating contaminants in one of those areas of soil from the other. One known method of providing such isolation is to insert successive panels into the soil formation between the two areas so as to form a continuous barrier therebetween. In the case of remediation work where the purpose is to contain and remove contaminants from the soil of one of the areas, it is frequently necessary to ensure that the barrier created by such panels does not have significant gaps therebetween which may allow the contaminants to escape.
One common method of inserting such panels into the ground is to vertically orient the panel above the surface of the soil formation and apply sufficient pressure to the top of the panel so as to forcibly insert the panel into the soil formation. Successive panels may be thereafter similarly inserted into the soil formation with a slidable interconnection between the two adjacent panels to assure continuity.
A difficulty with present methods of inserting remediation panels into soil formations is the difficulty of sealing the interconnection therebetween. However, conventional methods have not been sufficient to resist inclusion of dirt and debris during the process of installing the adjoining plates. In addition, conventional seals, have not provided sufficient sealing capabilities for such demanding environments.